Answer to Oral Question PL79

Reading Summary

📖 Reading time: 5 minutes
📊 Word count: 879 words

YANG BERHORMAT PEHIN ORANG KAYA INDERA PAHLAWAN DATO SERI SETIA HAJI AWANG SUYOI BIN HAJI OSMAN

QUESTION:

YANG BERHORMAT PEHIN ORANG KAYA INDERA PAHLAWAN DATO SERI SETIA HAJI AWANG SUYOI BIN HAJI OSMAN requests the MINISTER OF EDUCATION to refer to the Key Performance Indicator (KPI) of the percentage of graduates who get employed within 6 months after completion, which is 76% from the start of 2023/2024 to 2027/2028, especially UNISSA with only 60%, and to state (a) whether the Ministry is satisfied with this percentage given that approximately 25% of graduates do not gain employment each year; and (b) what plans are in place to increase this percentage and ensure they are absorbed by the job market.

YANG BERHORMAT MINISTER OF EDUCATION

ANSWER:

Thank you, Yang Berhormat Yang Di-Pertua, and thank you also to Yang Berhormat Pehin Orang Kaya Indera Pahlawan Dato Seri Setia Haji Awang Suyoi bin Haji Osman for showing concern over the employment status of graduates from our Higher Education Institutions (HEIs).

(a) Yang Berhormat Pehin, the Key Performance Indicator (KPI) of the Ministry of Education targets 76% of graduates obtaining jobs within six months after graduation starting from 2023/2024. This target is derived through a linear trend projection based on actual data on graduate employability rates from 2019 to 2022. This linear projection assumes that economic activities are consistent, and any increase in this KPI requires significant and substantial enhancements in economic activities. To address this concern, two perspectives are presented as follows:

• Firstly, the Ministry of Education feels this target is realistic as it is based on and aligned with current data and economic growth. Furthermore, this performance indicator is for the period of 6 months after graduation, and it does not imply that the remaining 25% of graduates will not get jobs or stop looking for work after 6 months post-graduation.

• Secondly, in an ideal situation, certainly the Ministry of Education hopes all its graduates gain employment in their respective fields after graduation as the impact is interconnected in achieving all three goals of Wawasan Brunei 2035.

(b) In line with this, the Ministry of Education, through educational institutions, continually strives to increase the percentage of employability and ensure graduates are absorbed by the job market by implementing various programs and activities such as:

1. Ensuring that study programs offered and faculties or schools receive recognition from industry and accreditation from professional bodies, such as:

   • UBD-School of Business and Economics has accreditation from the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB);
   • The Bachelor and Master's Degree programs in Mechanical Engineering at the Faculty of Engineering, UTB have accreditation from the Institution of Mechanical Engineers (IMechE) UK; and
   • IBTE's School of ICT has accreditation from the Computing Technology Industry Association (COMTia).

2. Through internship or work attachment programs either domestically or overseas that expose students to the working world, offer opportunities to practice and enhance skills, and train work ethics.

3. HEIs also provide entrepreneurship platforms to encourage graduates to become self-employed and engage in startups such as:

• UBD Entrepreneurship Clinic for graduates interested in starting a business, where students can attend to understand and learn how to start a business; and
• Laksamana College of Business Incuvation Centre which guides graduates to start a business and connects them with relevant firms and corporate partners.

Meanwhile, UNISSA implements various academic initiatives expected to produce more marketable graduates who can be absorbed by the job market, such as:

1. Offering Bachelor Degree programs with a three (3) year study period that meet industry needs and align with global trends. Programs starting in the 2024/2025 session include Islamic Development Management, Islamic Communication Media and Technology, Agriculture, and Halal Sciences;

2. Offering programs in two (2) languages of instruction namely Arabic and English, such as the Bachelor of History and Civilization Islam program, which was previously offered only in Arabic;

3. Offering Dual Award programs through collaboration with regional universities starting 2025/2026, such as the Bachelor of Islamic Finance with Universiti Malaysia Sabah and Bachelor of Development Management/Bachelor of Business Management with the International Islamic University Malaysia;

4. Restructuring the Industry Training period from 10 weeks to 20 weeks to provide comprehensive exposure to the working world, offer opportunities to practice and enhance skills, and train professional job ethics; and

5. Empowering and enhancing Arabic language skills by sending students to Oman for eight (8) weeks.

In addition, UNISSA continues to build the capacity of its students and alumni, such as:

1. Through career development programs including career briefings, workshops in CV preparation, interview procedures and public speaking techniques, motivational talks in facing job competition as well as career exploration to relevant organizations;

2. Offering graduates opportunities to attend upskilling or reskilling courses or programs offered by UNISSA's Leadership and Lifelong Learning Center, fully or partially funded by the Alumni Association Fund;

3. Enhancing entrepreneurial skills through the E-Hub Center, since September 2024, which provides continuous programs including an Entrepreneurship Mentoring and Training program, offering students and alumni direct interaction and guidance from experienced entrepreneurs or successful alumni, both domestic and international; and

4. Through the UNISSA Cafe run by students as authentic training in their field of study, which will have a long-term positive impact in providing suitable competencies to enter the job market.

Thank you, Yang Berhormat Yang Di-Pertua.